Shipping case



I 26, 1950 A. ROSS 2,535,233

SHIPPING CASE Filed March 24, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26, 1950 A. ROSS 2,535,233

SHIPPING CASE Filed March 24, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. ROSS SHIPPING CASE Dec. 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 24, 1948 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 SHIPPING CASE Alfred Ross, Bloomfield, N. J assignor to Allcraft Corrugated Corporation, Harrison, N. J., a corporation of New J erscy Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,739

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to shipping cases or cartons formed of cardboard, particularly corrugated paper board; and one object of the invention is to provide a shipping case or carton which shall include novel and improved means fo supporting articles in suspended position within the shipping case.

Another object is to provide a shipping case of this character which shall include a novel and improved support for suspending articles such as garments, particularly women's dresses, within the shipping case, to facilitate handling and shipping of such articles with a minimum of folding or wrinkling of the garments.

A further object is to provide in a shipping case or carton a novel and improved supporting element that may serve both as a hanger or seat for an article to be packed or shipped and also function as a strut .or tie to reenforce the walls of the case against crushing or collapse.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combined hanger bar, tie bar and strut formed of corrugated paper board which can be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the walls of a shipping case or carton and which shall possess suliicient rigidity and strength to serve as a hanger or suspension bar for articles to be packed and also prevent the walls of the case from being stretched or collapsed,

Other objects are to provide a combined suspension tie and strut unit that normally shall comprise a flat single sheet of corrugated paper board which can be easily and quickly folded into bar-like shape and attached to the walls of a case or carton; and to obtain other advantages and results that will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the two sections of a case embodying my invention, in dis assembled or separated relation;

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the two sections partially assembled;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the upper dge portion of the inher section of the case, with the suspension unit I removed;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the suspension unit before application thereof to the case and with portions broken away;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the blank for the suspension unit before it is folded to complete the unit;

Figure 6 is an, edge elevational view of the blank shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a composite fragmentary perspective view, showing the various steps in the shaping of the blank to form the suspension unit;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the inner section of the case and the suspension unit in assembled relation;

Figure 9 is a top plan view thereof on a reduced scale;

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view, approximately on the plane of the line ll-H of Figure 12 Figure 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view, approximately on the plane of the line |2- i2 of Figure 9,;

Figure 13 is a similar view on the plane of the line i3--I3 of Figure 9;

Figure 14 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, on the plane of the line |4l4 of Figure 9;

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 12, showing the relationship of the case and the suspension unit just prior to the attachment of the suspension unit to the case;

Figure '16 is a transverse vertical sectional view, on the plane of the line l6i6 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a top plan view of a section of a shipping case embodying a modification of the invention;

Figure 18 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, approximately on the plane of the line l8-l8 of Figure 17, and

Figure 19 is a similar view, approximately on the plane of the line |8--i9 of Figure 17.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, I have shown it in Figures l-16, inclusive, embodied in a shipping case especially designed for the transportation of garments such as ladies dresses. the case comprising an outer tubular section A having side walls I and bottom and top or end walls 2, the section being open at the front and rear to receive the inner section B which is also generally tubular and has side walls 3, a rear wall 4 and a front wall which comprises two sections 5 each of which is hingedly connected to one edge of the corresponding side wall 3 to form closure flaps or doors to permit easy and quick insertion and removal of garments C into and from said inner section. As shown, both ends of the inner section B are open.

In accordance with the invention, the garments or other articles being packed are mounted or suspended on one or more combined suspension tie and strut units D, and where garments are being packed, .a unit D serves as a hanger bar '12, as shown at F.

over which may be hung the usual hook E of a known type of garment hanger, When packing articles in the case, the inner section is withdrawn from the outer section, as shown in Figure 1, so that the articles may be inserted in said section through the opening provided by the hinged flaps or doors 5. After the articles have been placed in the inner section B, the latter is slipped into the outer section A, as shown in Figure 2, so that the open ends of the inner section are closed by the end walls 2 of the outer section and the open front and rear of the outer section are closed by the side Walls of the inner section. The inner section may be inserted into the outer section with the flaps abutting one of the side walls of the outer section, as shown in Figure 2, or the inner section may be fitted into the outer section so that said flaps 5 are located at the front or rear of the outer section.

- "The edge of the inner section at the upper end thereof is formed with notches 6 in opposite walls according to the location desired for one or more of the suspension units D. As shown in Figure 3, two of the notches are shown in solid lines in the side walls of the inner section, while other notches are designated by dot and dash lines in the rear wall and the flaps 5.

The suspension unit comprises initially a fiat blank F of suitable material, such as corrugated paper board, the length of which is substantially greater than the distance between the walls of the case section on which the unit is to be mounted. Preferably, the blank is scored along its longitudinal median line, as indicated at i, and

.each of the notches 8, as indicated at Iii, so that the end portions of the blank may be bent outwardly from each other in opposite directions, as shown at F whereby the end portions ll may be disposed perpendicularly to the main portion The distance between the scored lines I!) is substantially equal to the distance between the opposed walls of the case section in which the slots 6 are located, and it will thus be seen that the main portion of the suspension unit is comprised of two thicknesses is of the cardboard connected at their lower edges by the fold l and connected at their upper edges at the folds 3 to other thicknesses l4, and that all of said thickneses l3 and M are substantially wider than the aggregate of said thicknesses, whereby the unit is bar-like, strong and rigid and will effectually resist bending strains or weights applied to the unit main portion along the folds or in directions perpendicular to the width of the thicknesses i3 and I4. Each end portion ll comprises an inverted channelformed by extensions of the corresponding layers l3 and [4 that are spaced from each other a distance suflicient to allow the end portions to bridge, embrace or straddle the edge portions of the walls of the case section B in abutting relation to the corresponding edges and to the inner and outer surfaces of the respective walls, as best shown in Figures 8, 12 and 14.

In mounting the unit D in the case section,

the end portions H are held approximately perpendicularly tothe main portion l2 and at the same time the end portions are slipped downwardly over the edges of the case section B while the fold and the main portions of the thicknesses [3 are slipped into the corresponding notches 6 in the case section, whereupon the unit will be firmly frictionally held on the case section, as best shown in Figures 1, 8 and 11-14, inclusive.

With the suspension unit D thus mounted, the garment hangers may be hung on the main portion I2 of the unit, as best shown in Figure 1. The suspension unit will support surprisingly heavy loads and also serves to firmly hold the walls of the case section against collapse and against being pulled apart.

Figures l719, inclusive, illustrate a modification of the invention wherein a plurality of units D are used in another way to support an article in a case. Here the case is an elongated tube G of suitable material, such as corrugated paper board, and has a short tubular spacing element 15 inserted in each end thereof and having two notches IS in the inner edge of each of two opposed side walls in which the units D are secured in substantially the same manner in which the unit is secured to the case B in the form of the invention shown in Figures l-l6, inclusive. Preferably, the units D on one spacing element is are disposed perpendicularly to the units D on the other spacing element, and the article H to be shipped, for example, a radio cabinet (indicated by dot and dash lines), is supported between the units D of the two spacing elements.

With this construction, it will be observed that the units D, in addition to supporting or suspending the article H, also serve effectively as struts to resist collapsing of the side Walls of the case section G upon exertion of external pressure thereon.

Now referring again to Figure 3, it will be seen that, if desired, suspension tie and strut units D could be mounted in the slots ll, shown by dot and dash lines, instead of in the slots 6.

Other possible arrangements and uses of the suspension, strut and tie units D and modifications and changes in the construction and combination of the units with shipping cases, will occur to those skilled in the art as within the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, the section A may be a known type of slotted carton having closure flaps at each of the open front and rear sides thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A shipping case having at least portions of the edges of two opposed walls exposed, and a bar-like unit having a main bar portion formed at each end to straddle one of said wall edge portions in abutting relation to the corresponding edge and to the inner and outer surfaces of the corresponding wall, said wall edge portions having notches, and said unit comprising two elongate thicknesses of stiff foldable material of substantially greater width than thickness connected by a fold along one longitudinal edge and each connected by a fold at its other edge to another thickness, and the end portions of each of the first-named thicknesses and the corresponding second-named thickness being folded away from the end portions of the other of the firstnamed and second-named thicknesses, whereby said end portions are inverted channel-shaped, and said two first-named thicknesses are seated in said slots with said inverted channel-shaped end portions in straddling relation to the corresponding wall edge portions.

2. A shipping cas as defined in claim 1, wherein said case and said unit are formed of corrugated paper board.

3. As an article of manufacture for use in shipping cases, a bar-like unit having a main bar portion and end portions for attaching the unit to the edges of two opposed walls of a shipping case, said unit comprising two elongate thicknesses of stiff foldable material of substantially greater width than thickness connected by a fold along one longitudinal edge and each con nected by a fold at its other edge to another thickness, and the end portions of each of the first-named thicknesses and the corresponding second-named thickness being folded away from the end portions of the other of the first-named and second-named thicknesses, whereby said end portions are inverted channel-shaped to straddle th edge portions of such walls in abutting relation to the wall edges and with said main portion 6 extending across such case between said walls. 4. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 3, wherein said foldable stiff material is corrugated paper board.

ALFRED ROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

